Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto left Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals after being hit in the throat and neck area by a pitch that bounced in the dirt.
Zack Wheeler's low curveball in the seventh inning took a hop and struck Realmuto underneath his catcher's mask. He immediately grabbed at the area and appeared to be in intense pain.
#Phillies All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto is out of the game after taking a bouncing pitch from Zack Wheeler to the throat/neck area. Realmuto was in a lot of pain after the baseball got under his mask. He'll be replaced by Garrett Stubbs. pic.twitter.com/bD7VcHE1E5
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) April 10, 2024
Realmuto was able to walk off the field under his own power after being examined by trainers.
Manager Rob Thomson said postgame that Realmuto was diagnosed with a bruised neck and does not have a concussion, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He'll be reevaluated on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old is hitting .273/.333/.455 with two home runs and four RBIs through nine games this season.
